Friday marks the sixth anniversary of the deadly Lhasa riot masterminded by the Dalai Lama and his secessionist followers.

The more Western countries come to understand the Dalai Lama's real agenda, the more they will see him as a negative political asset, says a Xinhua commentary.

The prevailing myth in the West about the Dalai Lama as a peace-loving monk and spiritual leader is set to unravel as facts have revealed that he planned the Lhasa riot that killed 18 innocent people.

He and his followers are also behind more than 100 self-immolations by Tibetans since then, most of whom died.

Despite the Dalai Lama preaching peace, tolerance and benevolence, his main political objective has always been to pursue "Tibet's independence".

Even with the so-called middle-way approach, the Dalai Lama is still what he was a half century ago, a political opportunist who fancied a "Greater Tibet" that had never existed in history.

In the Cold War era, the West tried to use the Dalai Lama against China. But under the new global landscape, that tactic has become increasingly irrelevant and self-harming.

The secessionists may not understand that a stable, strong and robust China has an indispensable role to play in building lasting peace and prosperity in the world, but the West surely does.

A disintegrating China, with Tibet independent, would be a disaster for everyone.

That's why US President Barack Obama reacted positively to Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of constructing a new model of relations between major countries, one in which the two nations respect and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, including the Tibet issue.

That's also why Obama's latest meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House appeared so ill-conceived.

Politicians in the West should not try to use the Tibet issue against China. Nor should they pursue ties with the Dalai Lama at the expense of their relations with China.

After all, a true religious leader wouldn't meddle in politics like the Dalai Lama, who has been engaged in a political campaign all along.